RETRIBUTION
by gentledove2
Summary: Hermione flees from the horrors that were done to her. This is a story about what happened while and after she comes to terms with what was done to her by those who should have cared for her...and it is a journey of her road to justice. Happy ending guaranteed for Hermione and Thorfinn Rowle. Not so happy an ending for Dumbledouche, Potter, and the Weasel!
1. The End of the Beginning

**CHAPTER 1: The End of the Beginning**

The day the second wizarding war was over...the Battle of Hogwarts had been fought and the Order had won...Hermione apparated out of there...with not a word for anyone...she was gone! She knew that if she had stayed, that she would spit on the two wizards who had been making her life a total misery for the past four long years. So, the very second Voldemort was a pile of ashes, she was gone...and she didn't return...well at least not for a long time.

Once the dust was clear, the survivors secured the remaining Death Eaters...dead or alive, all their wands were snapped...the live ones went straight through to Azkaban, while the dead were stripped of their valuables and their bodies were tossed in the closest cess pit. Those that died fighting Voldemort had their bodies lying in the Great Hall...surrounded by their friends and family who mourned for their loss.

Luna was the first person to ask where Hermione was...but no one knew anything. She asked Harry and Ron as Hermione had been fighting alongside them and Kingsley Shacklebolt...both wizards denied knowing where she was...ditto Kingsley. Ron shrugged his shoulders and said that she was probably around somewhere...that she would show up and that Luna shouldn't worry about Hermione as she was a big girl who could take care of herself. And then he put his arm around her shoulders, latched his hand on her breast and pulled her close to him, leering at her. Luna was disgusted...removed his hand, smacked him, and then resumed her hunt for Hermione, which proved futile.

Days later and no one knew where Hermione was...and they began to get worried about her. Potter and the Weasel brushed off everyone's worries...saying she could take care of herself...it was becoming quite obvious that there had been a breach in the Golden Trio because two-thirds didn't know where the remaining third was.

Even more problematic was when discussions were taking place about who would receive which Order of Merlin. Both Potter and the Weasel were outraged to learn that Hermione would receive the the Order of Merlin, First Class, beside them. They did their level best to denigrate all her efforts on their behalf. According to those two, they did all the work themselves and that Hermione had just been around for the ride...and to look good. They even claimed that she copied off of their homework...not that anyone actually believed that!

Finally, Minerva, Molly, Luna, even Ginny had had enough and confronted Potter and the Weasel directly. "How dare you, Mr. Potter, lie through with a straight face about how you and Mr. Weasley did all the work yourself so that Hermione deserved nothing?! I know for a fact that you wouldn't have gotten past your third year without her constantly doing YOUR homework and coaching you through your exams."

She continued angrily, "Did you really think that your professors didn't know what you all were up to? We knew everything BUT there was nothing we could do about it at the time as Professor Dumbledore had approved it. But he is no longer Headmaster and I am not prepared to let you sweep Hermione Granger's contribution to winning the war under the carpet."

"IF, Mr. Potter you and Mr. Weasley are claiming you did all the work, what ingredients go into making polyjuice potion and in what order? How do you prepare the ingredients? You passed your OWLs by the skin of your teeth...considering you did all the learning yourself, are you prepared to re-write your exams today? Nothing to say, gentlemen? Cat got your tongue?" she sneered maliciously!

Molly, Luna, and Ginny all agreed with Professor McGonagall. Molly said to Ron, "You should be ashamed of yourself. Neither you nor Harry would be alive today without Hermione cleaning up after all your disasters and sweeping the way clean for you to proceed. You make me ashamed that you are still alive and Fred is not. You two need to buck up or you are not welcome in the Burrow any longer!" Molly was so angry that her hair had taken on a life of its own...much like Medusa's snakes...

Ginny chirped up, "What about the horcruxes? Luna and I helped Hermione do all the research on them...we did it all and you did diddly-squat! And now you want to take all the credit yourselves? And you, Ron? What did you do? When Hermione and Harry were on the run, YOU DESERTED them...you missed our Mum's home cooking and you came home with your tail between your legs. I am ashamed of both of you. And Harry, as far as I am concerned, you can go make nice with Cho Chang. I am done with you...permanently!"

And then Luna joined in..."All through the war that we children fought together...against a tyrant that the Wizengamot refused to believe that had been resurrected from the dead...all through this war...for the last seven years...Hermione has been at your side the whole time! Do you want me to count all the occasions when Ronald walked away from the two of you, leaving Hermione to work twice as hard keeping you alive? And now you don't give a damn where she is or if something happened to her? Did you even think for a second that perhaps a Death Eater had escaped taking Hermione with him? You two make me sick! And unless you two grow up and put your big boy panties on, I will no longer consider either of you as my friend!"

Finally, it was Kingsley's turn. "I too am ashamed at both of you. I know for a fact just how many times Hermione has saved your lives, boys...and now you are trying to chisel her out of her accolades...her rightfully earned Order of Merlin award?"

Ronald interrupted Kingsley whining, "How do you know she was telling you the truth? I tell you, it was &&I&& who helped Harry all the way through. Hermione just looked like she was helping but she didn't. It was ME all the way," the Weasel asserted.

Now Kingsley was pissed off! "Ronald Weasley, you should be ashamed of yourself. Taking credit for work you didn't do and denying credit for all of Hermione's labors on your behalf is a shameful act! Further, I **know** exactly what each of you did...especially to Hermione. Do you know what a Legilimens is, Ronald?"

Ron hummed and hawed before saying, "Makes something legitimate?"

"Wrong!" Minerva proclaimed triumphantly. And if you had passed your OWLs on your own effort, you would have known the answer!"

Very carefully, almost as if he was speaking to idiots, Kingsley said slowly, "A Legilimens is a person who can read a person's mind...they enter into another person's mind to see events that have happened as well as the person's thoughts."

Harry jumped in, "But how is that to do with us...what we did?"

"Patience, Harry, patience. I hadn't finished," Kingsley said tiredly.

"Hermione was seriously concerned about what would happen at the end of the war...if that day ever came. With the assistance of Professor McGonagall who covered for her absence with a Time-Turner, Hermione visited me weekly and a record of everything that happened among the three of you has been kept safely for the war trials shortly to take place...every last nasty word the two of you said to her is recorded...along with everything you have done to her!"

Potter and the Weasel turned a sickly shade of green.

Kingsley continued, "The only reason you aren't in the dock yourselves is that Hermione made me promise not to do anything to the pair of you until she is ready for you two to be dealt with! Otherwise, you two would be sitting in Azkaban along with the other war criminals awaiting trial."

Molly and Minerva blanched. "Can it be that bad?" the two of them asked in unison. "Surely they didn't do anything terrible other than taking credit for what Hermione did?"

Kingsley looked solemn and shook his head. "It is a terrible thing, Molly and Minerva, that these two miscreants have done. Hermione gave me permission to share her memories with you two if something happened to her or she disappeared. The memories are kept in a very safe location outside of Britain but I have kept a few of them to show you, if you like. By the way, Ronald and Harry, if something happens to me...if you "arrange" an accident...my lawyers will release the memories immediately! So I suggest you keep your hands to yourself."

Continuing, Kingsley said firmly, "You should know that in seven years time, if Hermione hasn't returned and/or is dead, she has asked me to give copies of the memories to Rita Skeeter if she promises to quote Hermione's words verbatim...and then to the Wizengamot a day or so later! Gentlemen, and I use the word loosely, it will be my pleasure to follow Hermione's instructions exactly!"

"Now ladies, Potter, Weasel, are we ready to see Hermione's memories?" Kingsley inquired.

Molly looked at Minerva and said, "I think that Arthur should be present too..." With that, she cast her patronus asking her husband to join them in Kingsley's office. Unfortunately Arthur was unable to meet with them then so Kingsley suggested that they adjourn for lunch and meet again afterward. Minerva and Molly agreed and decided to get a bite at the Leaky Cauldron.

As they turned to leave, Potter and the Weasel seized the opportunity to slink away. Minerva turned and said, "Not so fast Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. You will be having lunch under our supervision so you will be around for the big reveal..." Then she grabbed Potter by his ear and Molly did the same to her son...and they dragged the delinquents out of Kingsley's office.


	2. The Big Reveal

**CHAPTER 2: The Big Reveal**

Later that day, Minerva, Molly, Arthur, Harry and Ron met with Kingsley in his office. He had a very special pensieve sitting on his coffee table and he had arranged six chairs around it. He gestured for them to sit down...Ron was between Molly and Arthur and Harry was wedged between Minerva and Kingsley. Kingsley poured in the contents of a flask numbered 1 and rather than having to put their heads into the pensieve to examine the memories, the special device projected the images into the air for all to see at the same time.

By the time the third flask had been viewed, the temperature in the room had become quite frigid. All were looking appalled at Potter and the Weasel. They couldn't believe what they had done to Hermione...and now Hermione was missing. Was she OK and how were they to give her the justice she deserved, without having the whole world know what had been done to her?

Arthur was so disgusted with what his son had done. He had been hoping that it was a one-time thing but this was a pattern of reprehensible behavior over a four year period. Worse, it had been tolerated by Professor Dumbledore who's motto of "greater good" tasted like ashes in his mouth. This was the flesh of his loins and he had never been so ashamed in his entire life. And where was Hermione? Did his son have anything to do with her disappearance? He never would have thought Ron would have hurt Hermione like that...he was beginning to realize that he had never known his son at all.

Molly and Minerva were equally appalled...Kingsley wasn't shocked though as he had sat through over a hundred memories being extracted...he had seen the length of their infamy many times and each time, it made him sick that Hermione was made to suffer such filthy acts. If Dumbledore had been still alive, Kingsley would have killed him for what he allowed those two debauched scoundrels to do to her. But since he was dead, the best that Kings could do would be to piss on his grave...and that he would do willingly...

Kingsley started to pour the fourth memory into the pensieve but Molly had enough. "Tell me, Kings, is the rest more of the same or are there any variants to their deviant behavior? I'm not sure how much more I can bear."

Kingsley shrugged his shoulders and said thoughtfully, "Hermione had to endure such vile, abhorrent acts twice a week for almost four years. Surely we can suffer through ten flasks of her memories...just a token of what was forced on her." Molly nodded her head and then Kingsley continued.

Finally, the flasks were finished...and there was silence.

Arthur spoke first, "What do you have to say in your defense...if anything at all?"

Ron replied, "It's OK, dad. Professor Dumbledore said it was part of Hermione's duties...to take care of our needs for the "greater good". Surely you can see that?"

Molly turned to her son and slapped him across the mouth. "You were raised better than that, Ronald Billius Weasley. You...Harry too...make me sick! Just because the Headmaster approved of such debaucheries doesn't make it right...and you know better. I thought you loved Hermione and were going to bring her into the family officially as your wife. Now, our family name is ashes in her mouth. And you are no better, Harry. She saved your life many times and this is how you treated her...still want to treat her? I can't believe I am saying this but Ron I wish I had miscarried you or you were stillborn. You are no longer my son!"

Arthur turned to Kingsley and asked, "What do you want to do, Kingsley, considering the abhorrent nature of the acts inflicted on Hermione?"

Kingsley thought for a minute or two and said, "I think we should avoid a trial for now...with the memories alone, we could convict them and put them in Azkaban for life...but then everyone would know what happened to Hermione and I want her approval before we do that to her. She has been victimized enough and I don't want to put her through a trial until she has fully recovered."

Continuing, "This is what I propose. Potter, Weasley, your magic will be bound so that you can only use it to save either your lives or the lives of an innocent party. You will receive you Order of Merlin award but you will only say and do what you are told to say and do. After that, you will plead exhaustion and declare that you are in need of time to recharge so you will be leading a quiet life for some time to come...ask that they respect your need for peace and quiet at this point in your lives. Give no interviews without my permission in advance, which will not be given. You two will be confined under a little Muggle term called "house arrest"...that means you will be staying in a very quiet and humble abode with no magic and no house elves either. You will have to take care of yourselves and you will be unable to leave..."

The Weasel interrupted yet again, "But what about food...we need food!"

Kingsley said contemptuously, "You and your appetite. A box of plain, healthy food will be delivered once a week...eat all of it at once and you will be going hungry until the next order comes. You will see no one and hopefully the two of you will make each other as miserable as you did to innocent Hermione! Now get out of my sight!"

Kingsley then spoke to Arthur, "I know you will want to use some household magic on your son...I suggest you inflict some of it on Harry as he has no family of his own to do it for him. Keep them locked up until I have made arrangements for a place for them to stay. They are not to see anyone else. Do you understand me, Arthur?"

"Loud and clear, Kingsley. They will be locked up on bread and water until you are ready for them. Move you two..." and the Weasleys plus Harry left together for the Burrow.


	3. A Brief Interlude

****

**CHAPTER: 3 - A Brief Interlude**

"I need a drink, Kings...a stiff drink...the good stuff, please! I can't believe what they did to an innocent girl...and that Dumbledore approved it! I think I am going to tell the portraits...under an oath of silence...what he has done! Is that alright with you?" she finished.

Kingsley crossed to the cupboard and took an aged bottle of single malt with two tumblers and set them on the table. He poured each of them a very stiff drink, passed one to her, and then drank his own. Finished, he poured them each a second stiff drink...and then another. Finally they both were lubricated sufficiently that Kingsley was comfortable with expressing an opinion.

"I'm not comfortable with Dumbledore finding out what we know about what happened to Hermione...I think it is better for now to leave the former headmaster in happy ignorance of Hermione's fate. She should have the right to choose to what extent she wants her privacy breached...and when...and to whom...before her private life becomes fodder for every witch and wizard in wizarding England. And I have yet to formulate a plan to make him suffer ignominy. Let's table it for now and keep it between the four of us. Dumbledore is dead so he isn't going anywhere...meaning he can wait!"

"Well, if you are sure, Kings," Minerva replied.

"Definitely, Minerva! If I didn't need the help of the four of you to contain and isolate those little scumbags, I wouldn't have said a word... Now, we need to deal with your former students and we need to find Hermione and know she is OK."

So...what did happen to Hermione?


	4. Back to Hermione Granger

**CHAPTER 4 - Back to Hermione Granger**

Hermione felt dirty...she could literally feel her skin crawl. Arriving at her parents' house, she stripped off her clothes as she raced for the shower. She turned the temperature up so high, she was endanger of being scalded. She didn't care! She had to scrub all the filth of the last four years from her skin before she could and would do another thing... Finally with her skin almost rubbed raw, she sat on the bottom of the shower and let the hot water pour over her naked body. She was exhausted...sick and tired of endless war...and she never wanted to see either Harry Potter or Ronald Billius Weasley ever again...

After a long time, she was thoroughly waterlogged. She reached up and turned off the shower. She wrapped herself up in a towel and staggered to her room. Dropping the wet towel on the floor, she crawled on to her bed and pulled a duvet over her still damp body...and then she fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Early the next morning, Hermione packed up all her belongings as well as the belongings of her parents that she wished to keep. Unfortunately, the Grangers didn't make it off to Australia. They were caught by Voldemort's Death Eaters while they were packing up their car...mercifully though they weren't tortured...a simple Avada took them both out. Hermione was grateful for small mercies.

Once the house was stripped of all the family's possessions, she turned the lights out and said goodbye to her childhood home. It could never again be a home to her so it was time to let it go. Hermione picked up her beaded bag with the non-detectable extension charm on it and put on her long black cloak, pulling the hood close around her face, and then apparated to the front step of Gringotts.

Walking quickly up the front steps, she nodded her head to the two goblin guards at the door. Then she walked up to the desk and asked to speak to a bank officer about a private matter. She had to wait for a few minutes before she was ushered into a well-appointed office. A goblin stood up and nodding his head, he said, "My name is Bannuk. How may I help Miss Hermione Granger, part of the Golden Trio and Gryffindor princess?"

Hermione bowed deeply to the goblin and stated, "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Bannuk. Firstly, I am here to make reparations toward the damage that we did when we broke into the Lestrange Vault and then left via your dragon."

The goblin nodded at that and Hermione continued, "Secondly, my parents are dead. They were killed by Death Eaters. I am their only child and will inherit their estate. I need help first in probating their wills in mundane courts and in selling their property (cars, house, dental practice). Once the property is sold, my first priority is making Gringotts "whole".

Hermione further stated, "Then, I want a new identification and a new wand. I need to get away and I don't want anyone to be able to find/trace me. I am of age in both the wizarding and mundane world as I used a Time-Turner with Hogwarts approval for my third years...so I am naturally 18. Will it be a problem to get new identification for both wizarding and non-wizarding England? And about my mail...is it possible for Gringotts to receive all my mail and only forward what is truly important? Also, how would I go about getting an untraceable wand?"

Finally she concluded, "Lastly, I have both my parents and my possessions with me. I would like to open a large vault today and place everything of value within them so I will be free to travel and not have to worry about them being stolen." and there she finished.

The goblin thought for a few minutes as he sat behind his desk, his hands steepled. He had been surprised that Hermione had come to make reparations the very day after the Battle of Hogwarts...surprised by the fact that she did it voluntarily AND that she had done it so soon too. And he was just as surprised by the honor she had shown toward him by making such a deep vow. He would do his best for her and said, "Miss Granger."

Hermione interrupted, "Hermione, please!"

Nodding his head, he continued, "I will be happy to serve you in these matters. The vault we can arrange for this morning and the same for the untraceable wand...we goblins always keep a few on hand for "special occasions"...and I think this situation counts as "special"! As for the IDs, that will take a couple of days. I think we can get the probate going in a few days as well. Once the will is settled, we will take our portion to cover the damages done to Gringotts, and then transfer the rest of the monies to the bank or banks of your choice. Additionally, I will be happy to receive any owls directed toward you. Is this acceptable, Hermione?"

Hermione nodded her approval and then Bannuk continued, "And where will you be staying while we are making these arrangements for you?"

Hermione looked embarrassed and then said reluctantly, "I...I didn't think that far ahead. I just had to get away from the wizarding world and my parents' home is no longer home to me... Could you make any suggestions, please?"

Again, Bannuk thought carefully and said, "We goblins have a "safe house" of sorts for when situations arise that take a witch or wizard out of their natural home environment. It is quiet, comfortable, and unplottable. It would be our pleasure to host you there until you are able to move on."

Hermione really appreciated the significant honor that had been done for her. She bowed deeply and expressed her thanks most profusely. Then after blood-signing some documents, she and Bannuk headed toward her new vault. Once the belongings were placed in the vault and it was sealed, they headed back up toward the main hall of Gringotts. Bannuk gave her a pouch filled with galleons and beckoned for one of the lesser goblins to take Hermione to the Goblin safe house. Hermione again bowed deeply in front of him and he tilted his head in return. Then...it was off for parts unknown...aka the goblin safe house!


End file.
